The iOS-enabled Fender Squire Stratocaster electric guitar can plug directly into an iPhone, iPad or Mac for instant recording.
The $199.95 Squier by Fender USB Stratocaster Guitar (buy here), launched on Tuesday by Fender and the first of its kind to be sold directly on the Apple website, also plugs straight into an amp and can be played like any normal electric guitar, depending on how gifted the guitarist is in terms of musical ability. When connected to an iOS device, users can record straight into Apple’s Garage Band sound-editing and production software and create tracks, add effects or simply capture musical ideas as they come.
For anyone worried about noise pollution, the Stratocaster comes with a headphone jack so that sound quality can be monitored, but more importantly, so that the guitar can be played in silence.
Guitars don’t come with much more tradition and heritage than the Fender Stratocaster. Its design has not changed, save for one or two gentle tweaks, in almost 60 years. By incorporating USB and computer connectivity, Fender is maintaining the guitar’s historical stature and design legacy while bringing it right up to date.